Azure Virtual Desktop vs Horizon
This guide provides a straightforward comparison to help you determine which VDI solution best aligns with your enterprise’s technical requirements and business goals.
Introduction
Choosing between Azure Virtual Desktop and Omnissa Horizon (formerly VMware Horizon) is a key strategic decision for IT leaders. This is not just a feature comparison; it’s a choice between a cloud-native service fully integrated into the Microsoft Azure ecosystem and a mature, hybrid-first platform designed for the VMware software-defined data center.
Disclaimer: Content referencing Omnissa products is based on public information from those company’s websites, current as of the last article update. For the latest product details and further inquiries, please consult the official Omnissa website.
How do the core architectures of AVD and Omnissa Horizon differ?
The most significant distinction between Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) and Omnissa Horizon lies in their fundamental architecture. This difference dictates everything from deployment and management overhead to infrastructure dependencies and overall flexibility. The diagram below illustrates this core architectural split, showing how AVD operates as a cloud-native service versus Horizon's more traditional, component-based model.
What is the control plane model for each platform?
The control plane is the "brain" of a virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) solution, handling user connections, authentication, and resource allocation. How it's managed is a primary differentiator.
- AVD: Operates on a Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) model where Microsoft manages the entire control plane as a service within Azure. This includes the connection broker, gateway, web access, and diagnostics, freeing your IT team from managing the VDI back-end infrastructure. Your responsibility is limited to managing the session host virtual machines (VMs), user profiles, and applications.
- Omnissa Horizon: Uses a traditional, component-based architecture where your IT team is responsible for deploying, configuring, and maintaining the core infrastructure components. These components include the Connection Server for brokering, the Unified Access Gateway for secure remote access, and integration with vCenter for VM management.
Where are the primary deployment environments for AVD and Horizon?
Each platform is optimized for a different primary environment, which influences its suitability for your existing infrastructure strategy.
- AVD: Is a cloud-native service that runs exclusively in Microsoft Azure. It is designed from the ground up to leverage the scalability and global reach of the Azure cloud, with no on-premises server components to manage. This positions AVD as a true cloud service, where the focus shifts from managing software components to consuming a ready-made platform.
- Omnissa Horizon: Is primarily designed for on-premises deployments within a VMware vSphere environment, where it is tightly integrated with the broader software-defined data center (SDDC) stack. It has evolved to support hybrid and multi-cloud strategies, allowing deployment on public clouds, including through solutions like Azure VMware Solution and VMware Cloud on AWS, but its core strength remains in vSphere-based data centers.
What are the key infrastructure dependencies for each solution?
Understanding the ecosystem each platform relies on is critical for assessing integration and management complexity.
- AVD: Is deeply integrated with the Microsoft Azure ecosystem. It requires Microsoft Entra ID for identity and authentication; in many hybrid enterprise environments, session host VMs are also joined to a traditional Active Directory domain, which is then synchronized with Entra ID.
- Omnissa Horizon: Is tightly coupled with the VMware product stack, especially the vSphere hypervisor. It delivers the most value within this ecosystem, utilizing components like vCenter for infrastructure management and integrating with other VMware tools for networking and operations.
What are the key feature differences when comparing AVD and Omnissa Horizon?
Beyond architecture, the specific features related to user experience, OS support, and IT management directly impact performance and operational efficiency. A direct comparison highlights how each platform addresses the core needs of a virtual desktop environment. The table below summarizes these key distinctions at a glance.
| Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) | Omnissa Horizon 8 2506 | |
|---|---|---|
| Display Protocol | Modern RDP, optimized for the Azure global network and Microsoft 365 integrations. | Blast Extreme, engineered for high-fidelity graphics and a rich user experience. |
| Unique OS Support | Exclusive access to Windows 10/11 Enterprise multi-session for significant cost-efficiency. | Broad support for various Windows client and server operating systems for legacy compatibility. |
| Management Focus | Simplified service management, focusing on user-facing elements like images and applications. | Centralized ecosystem management, requiring deep expertise in the VMware infrastructure stack. |
How do the display protocols (RDP vs. Blast Extreme) compare?
The display protocol determines the quality and responsiveness of the end-user experience. The protocol's performance directly impacts how seamless the virtual desktop feels on the user's endpoint, whether it's a thin client, a laptop, or a mobile device.
- AVD (Modern RDP): Uses the continuously updated Remote Desktop Protocol, which is optimized for the Azure global network. It provides deep, native integrations for Microsoft 365 applications, such as enhanced performance for Microsoft Teams audio and video. The protocol also supports RDP Shortpath, which can create a direct UDP-based connection between the user and the session host, bypassing the gateway to reduce latency.
- Omnissa Horizon (Blast Extreme): Utilizes the Blast Extreme display protocol, which is engineered for a high-fidelity graphics experience, especially over stable, high-bandwidth corporate networks. It is optimized for a rich user experience with features like support for 3D graphics acceleration. The goal is to deliver a seamless and responsive digital workspace that feels indistinguishable from a local machine, even with demanding applications.
What operating systems are supported?
The choice of operating system has significant implications for both cost and user experience.
- AVD: Offers a key differentiator with its exclusive support for Windows 10 and Windows 11 Enterprise multi-session. This operating system allows multiple users to have concurrent, interactive sessions on a single VM while providing a familiar Windows client experience. This greatly reduces the number of VMs needed, offering significant cost efficiencies on Azure consumption.
- Omnissa Horizon: Supports a wide range of Windows client and server operating systems. In addition to its broad Windows support, Omnissa Horizon also provides robust support for delivering virtualized Linux desktops, making it a viable solution for engineering, development, and other specialized use cases. This makes it a flexible choice for organizations that need to support legacy applications or have diverse OS requirements across their user base. This makes it a flexible choice for organizations that need to support a diverse range of user workloads on various operating systems.
How does the management style and required expertise differ?
The day-to-day management experience and the skills required of your IT team vary significantly between the two platforms.
- AVD: Involves simplified service management via the Azure portal, PowerShell, or REST API. Because Microsoft manages the back-end, your IT team can focus on user-facing elements like creating and updating images, publishing applications, and managing user access. This model can be further simplified with third-party tools like Nerdio Manager for Enterprise, which provide a unified interface for advanced automation and optimization.
- Omnissa Horizon: Requires centralized ecosystem management through tools like the Horizon Console and vCenter. This approach provides granular, component-level control but demands specialized IT expertise in the VMware infrastructure stack, including virtualization, networking, and storage.
How do the cost models of AVD and Omnissa Horizon compare?
Analyzing the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) requires looking beyond simple licensing to include infrastructure, operational overhead, and potential indirect costs. The financial models for AVD and Horizon reflect their different architectural foundations, and the table below summarizes the primary cost factors for each platform.
| Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) | Omnissa Horizon 8 2506 | |
|---|---|---|
| Licensing Structure | Control plane access is included with many existing Microsoft 365/Windows licenses. | Subscription-based, per-user licensing (named or concurrent). |
| Primary Cost Model | 100% Operational Expenditure (OpEx), based on Azure consumption. | Primarily Capital Expenditure (CapEx) for on-premises; shifts to OpEx in the cloud. |
| Key Cost Drivers | Consumption of Azure VMs, storage, and networking. | Per-user license fees plus underlying infrastructure costs (hardware or IaaS). |
What does the licensing and subscription structure look like?
- AVD: The AVD control plane access is included at no extra cost with many existing Microsoft 365 and Windows 10/11 Enterprise licenses that organizations often already own (such as Microsoft 365 E3/E5, Business Premium, Windows Enterprise E3/E5, Education licenses). The primary costs are therefore related to Azure infrastructure consumption—what you pay for the VMs, storage, and networking your users consume.
- Omnissa Horizon: Is licensed on a per-user basis, typically as a subscription for either named users or concurrent users. This license cost is in addition to the cost of the underlying infrastructure, whether that is on-premises hardware (servers, storage) or IaaS in a public cloud.
How do capital expenditures (CapEx) compare to operational expenditures (OpEx)?
- AVD: Is a pure Operational Expenditure (OpEx) model. You pay for Azure resources on a consumption basis, allowing you to scale costs up or down with demand. This eliminates the need for large upfront investments in on-premises hardware.
- Omnissa Horizon: Is traditionally a Capital Expenditure (CapEx)-heavy model for on-premises deployments, requiring significant upfront investment in servers, storage, and networking hardware. While deploying Horizon in the cloud shifts this toward an OpEx model, the fundamental need to build and maintain the infrastructure components remains.
What are the "hidden" or indirect costs to consider?
- AVD: The primary financial risk is unpredictable or unoptimized Azure consumption costs. Without careful management and robust automation, VM and storage costs can escalate. This challenge is often addressed by specialized optimization platforms like Nerdio Manager for Enterprise, which use advanced autoscaling to control Azure spend.
- Omnissa Horizon: Indirect costs for on-premises deployments include data center overhead (power, cooling), hardware maintenance and refresh cycles, and the cost of specialized IT staff required to manage the complex VMware stack.
Know the TCO
This step-by-step wizard tool gives you the total cost of ownership for AVD in your organization.
Which platform is better for specific enterprise use cases?
The right VDI platform is the one that best aligns with your organization's existing infrastructure, strategic goals, and workforce needs. Rather than being universally "better," each solution excels in different scenarios.
When should you choose AVD?
AVD is the ideal choice for organizations strategically aligning with a cloud-native model. Consider AVD if you aim to:
- Standardize on the Microsoft ecosystem: It integrates seamlessly with Azure, Microsoft 365, and Microsoft Entra ID, providing a unified management and user experience.
- Reduce IT operational overhead: Shifting control plane management to Microsoft allows your team to focus on users and applications instead of infrastructure maintenance.
- Maximize cost-efficiency for knowledge workers: Leveraging Windows 10/11 multi-session can significantly lower the Azure consumption costs per user compared to a single-session VDI approach.
- Achieve rapid scalability and global reach: AVD allows you to deploy desktops and applications in Azure regions around the world in minutes, enabling you to scale your workforce up or down on demand.
When should you choose Omnissa Horizon?
Omnissa Horizon excels for enterprises that need to leverage existing investments or require deep control over their VDI stack. Consider Horizon if you need to:
- Maximize existing VMware vSphere investments: If your organization has significant expertise and infrastructure built on the VMware SDDC, Horizon provides the most tightly integrated experience.
- Support legacy applications or peripherals: For specific applications or hardware that cannot be easily migrated to the cloud, an on-premises Horizon deployment offers greater control and compatibility.
- Maintain granular, component-level control: In highly regulated industries or environments with unique security requirements, having direct control over every component of the VDI stack can be a critical advantage. This level of granular control is a primary reason why enterprises with complex infrastructure requirements have traditionally relied on platforms like Horizon or its main competitor, Citrix DaaS, to manage hybrid and on-premises VDI deployments.
- Implement a hybrid strategy: Horizon's Cloud Pod Architecture allows you to federate multiple on-premises and cloud-based pods, enabling a hybrid VDI environment managed from a single entitlement layer.
How can you simplify the management and modernization of your VDI strategy?
Adopting a modern platform like AVD reduces infrastructure burden, but managing a large-scale cloud VDI environment introduces new operational complexities. Addressing these challenges is key to realizing the full value of your move to the cloud.
What are the management challenges of AVD at an enterprise scale?
While Microsoft manages the AVD back-end, your IT team is still responsible for several complex and time-consuming operational tasks. At an enterprise scale, these challenges include:
- Image Management: Creating, updating, and distributing "golden images" across multiple host pools is a critical but often manual process.
- Host Pool Automation: Provisioning, scaling, and maintaining session host VMs requires significant scripting and monitoring to be efficient.
- Cost Control: Without sophisticated autoscaling logic, Azure compute and storage costs can become unpredictable and exceed budgets, negating the financial benefits of the cloud.
- Application Deployment: Managing application delivery and updates for both pooled and personal desktops can be operationally intensive.
How does Nerdio Manager for Enterprise enhance native AVD?
Nerdio Manager for Enterprise is a deployment, management, and automation platform that runs in your own Azure subscription on top of AVD and Windows 365. It addresses the native complexities of these platforms by adding a layer of enterprise-grade control and optimization.
- Advanced Cost Optimization: It provides patented, event-driven autoscaling technology that can dramatically reduce Azure compute and storage costs by matching resources precisely to user demand.
- Simplified Management: It automates complex operational tasks through an intuitive, centralized console. This includes streamlined image management, automated host pool creation, and simplified application deployment, reducing IT overhead.
- Clear Migration Path: For organizations moving from platforms like Omnissa Horizon, Nerdio provides a straightforward migration path and adds the enterprise-grade features IT administrators are accustomed to, making the transition to a modern VDI strategy seamless.
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